Gadkari urges two-wheeler makers to offer discounted helmets to customers
What's the story
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has urged two-wheeler manufacturers to provide helmets at a discounted or reasonable rate to vehicle buyers.
This appeal comes in response to the high number of fatalities caused by riders not wearing helmets.
In 2022 alone, over 50,000 lives were lost in accidents due to this reason. Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in India.
Statistics
Concerns over rising road accidents
Gadkari has been consistently vocal about the increasing number of road accidents in India.
Earlier this year, he attributed the surge in traffic mishaps to a decline in the quality of engineering graduates and their inadequate project planning.
He highlighted that there had been a 12% rise in road accidents and a 10% rise in fatalities from these incidents, leading to a socio-economic loss of 3.14% to India's GDP.
Traffic enforcement
Gadkari's plans for traffic regulation and driver education
The minister also emphasized the need for better planning of parking arrangements for school buses.
Despite the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 imposing hefty fines on traffic violations, he acknowledged that "effective enforcement is also a big challenge."
Gadkari revealed his ambition to establish driving schools in every taluka across the country, as part of his efforts to improve road safety.
Report findings
Health Ministry report highlights worrying figures
A recent report by the Ministry of Health titled "National Strategy for Prevention of Unintentional Injury" revealed that road crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the country.
They account for more than 43% of such fatalities, with overspeeding identified as the primary reason.
The report stated, "There were 4,30,504 deaths from unintentional injuries and 1,70,924 deaths due to intentional injuries in India in 2022."